If you have another spare tube (or when you get it), just plug the one that was on the other channel into the channel in trouble, and the new one on the other channel . If it blows too, is not the tube.

Now remember that I am not too technical, but a small explosive charge could blow a tube. Maybe Alpha or Gamma rays, I always forget which one is bad, maybe Stingrays?It could be something to do with electricity, tricky stuff, avoid it like you would a tiger that looks hungry. Perhaps a short? Or possibly a long, it is hard to tell them apart. I have always found the best way to fix a problem is to throw money at it, and if that doesn't work, shoot it with your largest caliber gun!

By the way, I made some ear extenders once. It can be amazing what lightly cupping one's ears can do for clarity in listening to music. I've known band directors who do that when listening critically to students playing their instruments (i'm a an art teacher, and would stop in the band room sometimes to listen. Some high school bands I've heard are really outstanding!).

Just entered your forum. I love Steve's gear and own what will become seven items in his product mix within the next 12 weeks.

I suspect that I have the same predicament as some of you. I'm still breaking in a set of ZOB open baffles with the TORI mini amp. When I left for a meeting this morning things were sounding very pleasant with only about 28 hours on the system. When I returned to the office two and one-half hours later one side of the amp was out. Noticed that the rectifier tube wasn't heated.

Oh to be a tube dweeb. That's okay. To me a bit of reflection going back to all that ham radio equipment that I built in my youth using valves is pleasant. Too bad that I didn't realize how good (linear) tubes were for passing sine waves until about 18 years ago. I'm 60 now. From here on out it's vacuum tubes all the way--combined with high resolution digital recordings and of course my beloved LP collection.

A bit at odds, I guess, but I've always always had pretty good luck with JJ reliability. I've used a number of different rectifiers from them with long term success. I've learned in the past that some who are new to tubes have admitted to turning an amp on and off rapidly and repeatedly during swapping of tubes, and experienced a number of problems including blowing fuses and damaging rectifiers, etc. If you're one to constantly roll tubes, let the amp take a break for a bit before hitting the switch. It's not good to keep turning it on and off and on and off in quick succession.

i've got a little more time now so i'll respond with a little more detail. i've had tubes for about ten years now. blew one tube in my previous amp as a result of a bad socket. the blown ez 81 happened after the amp had been on for a few hours and was the second time it had happened in the same slot under the same circumstances.

I'm new to the forums so please excuse my jumping in on this thread. I'll briefly say that I had issue with my EZ81's with my Mini T. and ended up getting some NOS ones from Brent Jesse and have not had any problems since...I got my Mini in January. GREAT amp btw!

And I think others have had issues with their JJ EZ81's SO, it's not really Decware's fault (I know knowone has pointed fingers or anything) . I think there is an unreliable batch of EZ81's out there and some people are getting stuck with them. I tried 3 different batches of JJ's...they all were a no-go!

NOS rectifiers don't go for very much either and you can read a bit, or ask around about the different manufacturers who made them and see what flavor might work best for your set up